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The Evolution of Rachel Coleman

I have this whole serious post ready for you about why we are not on public TV anymore, but I just can’t bring myself to post it and especially NOT today!

Because: (cue music) “Today is a special day a special day it’s true, we celebrate the happy day that I became me!”
Well the lyrics don’t work so well in the first person… which is exactly why I did not write that song with lyrics in the first person… See, I am quick like that!

Yes, 34 years ago today, October 9, 1974 – I was born: Rachel Lee de Azevedo. The fifth child of Lex and Linda de Azevedo.

The Evolution of Rachel Coleman
I doubt there was much fanfare, outside her own family. Her mother’s mother came to town and stayed with the family to help care for her daughter and this new granddaughter. Little did the world know what spirit had just been unleashed upon it. Little did her parents know.

This little girl, shy and quiet in the tumultuous chaos that would become a family of 9 siblings, was NOT the “squeaky wheel,” no. She was silent and observant. She didn’t ask for what she wanted because there were so many other children and she knew that many of them would ask.
She didn’t ask for the things she wanted and because she didn’t ask, she didn’t get them.

She didn’t find her voice until she was 17. She found her “angry voice” first. Like when Mrs. Potato Head packs her husband’s “angry eyes” in Toy Story II. Her family was shocked to hear this voice, shocked not only at the upset but also shocked at hearing a voice from someone who had up until that point refused to sing.

Rachel de Azevedo – We The Living: HEAVEN HELP ME

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She found love, got married, becoming Rachel de Azevedo Coleman and had her first child, Leah. One year after her daughter’s birth she took a personal vow of musical silence, at age 24, upon discovering her daughter was deaf. Like all things, this silence lasted… until it ended.

The silence ended when she was 28. Her second daughter Lucy, then 2 years old, was wrapped in a blanket on the floor, Lucy’s physical disabilities, cerebral palsy and spina bifida, kept her trapped in her own silent world. The problem felt very familiar. The circumstances did not. There happened to be a guitar in the room. This time, she heard a voice of inspiration. It started with this simple phrase: “How are you doing little one? I’d like to know what’s on your mind” and ended with this plea: “Show me a sign!”

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She now had a story to tell.
She now had a message to deliver.

The message to children: “You are perfect, exactly how you are!”
The message to their parents: “You are not alone.”
The message to professionals: “Do not limit us with labels.”
The message to the world: “Communication does not delay communication.”
She discovered she had a powerful voice, a silly outfit, yet a powerful voice in the world and for the world. A voice that is a stand for children, children who may feel like they don’t fit in, maybe they are shy or quiet, maybe they feel lost in the noise. A voice for so many children who feel that they cannot have what they want and are too afraid to ask, or maybe they just don’t have a way to ask at all.

Then one day she turned 34. It was to be the best year of her life. No, everything was not perfect, but it was. There would be disappointments as well as wonderful surprises. There would be new friends and old. Best of all, after 17 years of music, there are still new songs.

Happy birthday! My children hear, but Signing Time has been a great help to my toddler. We just love to watch you, Alex, and Leah. My littlest is learning to talk now, but knowing signs has been a great help. Thank you.

Happy Birthday Rachel!!! You are amazing and have touched so many lives- including my family’s. Kylinn has grown up with BST & ST, and at 27 months still udderly adores it. You, Leah, Alex, and Hopkins have been a big part of her life! And you helped give her the precious gift of communication from a very early age. Her signing exploded at 11 months and so did her verbal skills. Everywhere we’d go, people were so impressed by her abilities. By 2 years old she was using 6-8 word sentences. Her vocabulary is ever-growing. She can hear a big word once and use it correctly. She has never had a tantrum, there hasn’t been a need to. We taped her awhile ago signing, it’s on YouTube under Kylinn’s Signing Time Skills! We are so very proud of her.
We appreciate all your hard work. I’m so glad, after making the vow of silence, you decided to sing again. With that one choice you have impacted sooooo many lives. You and your family are such an inspiration, thank you for sharing your story and creating Signing Time!!
With Love and Gratitude

Hey Rachel-I just wanted to tell you thank you! I have a 20mth old who has been talking VERY WELL since she was about 13mths old. I started signing to her when she was just a couple of mths old. I started with “milk” showing her the sign while she was breast feeding. Then it was “tree” when we would go for a walk, then “mommy&daddy” and so on and so on. For the longest time she would just sit there and look at me and I almost gave up when she showed me HER first sign….it was “tree”! I then started to look for signing videos for her. I found one…a Baby Einstein…and it was great! She loved it! Then when she was about a year old we happened to find YOUR videos! WOW…WOW…WOW!!!! We ALL loved them, they are so great, those songs just stay in our heads all day and I find myself singing them out loud to her all the time when we are not watching your videos. Whenever we are in the car and she is upset I play “Teddy had a hard day” and as soon as she hears that song she stops crying! Your videos are SO great Rachel! After watching your videos for only a few days she started signing 1 and some times even 2 new signs a day!! We only had the first 2 videos in the Baby Signing Time series and she knows every sign in those videos! We just got video 3&4 and they’re great. She now knows well over 50 signs and she just keeps on learning! THANKS RACHEL
Steffanie & Elizabeth

You and my mother share the same birthday. You and I share the same birth year. I’m riding the tail-end of 39 now! I want to write more, but will have to set aside some time later…
Just want to say “Thank YOU!” for “Signing Time”. It has blessed our family in ways you can’t even imagine… <3